The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-06-17
THE sELK1RK PASS.
Tho Inde BITE dness of the Canadian Pacific
to q Minnesotian for the Discovery OF this

THE SELKIRK PASS.
Tho Inde BITE dness of the Canadian Pacific
to Minnesotiun for the Discovery ofth,
Pass.
Prof. G. NJ. Grant OF the Queens
University, Kingston, Canada, gives
an interesting account in the Century,
of his trip over the Canadian Pacific
Railroad from Montreal to Puget
Sound, and OF the desperate search in
former years for a feasible pass over
the Selkirk Mountains, and how after
all other engineers had failed, the
pass was finally discovered in 1881
by Major Rogers, an American en-.
sneer, q Minnesotian, and brother
OF Hon. R. E. Rogers, OF
Waterville, Waseca county. 1t is
thrilling narrative OF nerve, endur'
ance and final success. The following
is quoted from Prof. Grants article:
an February, 1881, the syndicate
appointed an American, Maj. A. B..
Rooers, C. E., engineer of the Mountain
Division of the Canada Pacific Rail
way He seemed to be abou as unlike
ly a man for the work OF ascertainin9
whether the Selkirks problem was sol.
uble as could have been chosen. He
knew little or nothing of-mountains;
his previous experience had been III
states where there is no counterpart
to the characteristic scenery and diff
fculties of British Columbia. But
Maj, Rogers, like true descendent OF
the Pilgrim or Puritan fathers, isa
man who goes to the particular wilder
ness to which he may be appointed,
asking no questions. Naturally in
tense, self-reliant, and scornful OF ap-
pearances, the opposite schooling OF
the old-fashioned Down East training,
the rough experience of engineer and
frontier life have made him so down
right that he is apt to be appalling to
ordinary mortals. Though between
30 and GO years OF age hair and beard
now white, no youngster in his party
will plunge into the grimmest mount
ain ranges with as little thought OF
commissariat or as complete n con-
tempt OF danger, and no Indiar n
encounter fatigue or famine as
ally.
The major and his nephew, Mr.. AL
bert Rogers, hiring at Kamloops ten
Shuswap Indians from the Roman
Catholic mission to carry their packs,
started in April to force their way to
the east. They succeeded in reaching
the core OF the Selkirk range, by fol.
lowing the east fork of the llle-Cille-
Waet; but, like Moberly on the north
FORK, they got only to a cul de sac,
and their packs having become omi-
nously light, they-heavy with the con-
seriousness OF failure-came to the con-
clusion that retreat was inevitable.
Before retracing their steps, however,
they climbed the divide to see if any
break could be detected in the range.
Yes; q valley appeared i'll the direction
of an unexplored little atfluent or the
Ile-Cille-Waet, and, apparently con-
nected with it, u depression extending
to the east. Everywhere else, all
around to the horizon, nothing but
"snowcad desolation." Theresult of
intolerable misery was this gleam OF
hope.
Our Journey enabled us to under.
stand what they must have suffered.
The underbrush is OF the densest, ow-
ing to the ceaseless rain. Black flies
or mosquitoes do their part un-
weariedly. What with fallen timber
of enormous size, precipices, prickly
thorns, beaver dams, marshes full OF
fetid water to be waded through, alder
swamps, lakelets surrounded by bluffs
80 steep that it would almost puzzle a
| chamois to get over or around them,
we had all we wanted OF the Ille- Cille,
Waet and the Eagle Pass. But - =
had started too early in the Sc:
| The snow was not only deep, - =.
was melting and rotting under spring
suns and rains, and therefore would
not bear their weight. Down they
sunk at every step, and often in the
worst kind OF pitfalls. At first their
| loads We're so heavy that they had to
leave part behind, and then, af.
| ter camping early, return weari
| ly on their tracks for the second
load. The Indians would have deserted
them dozen times over, but the Major
| had arranged with the mission that il
| they returned without certificate
they were to get whipping instead ol
good pay. Nothing but pluck kept
| them pegging away; but in spite OF ;ll
they failed that year. The following
| May the Major made his attack from
the other side OF the range, and aguir
he was unsuccessful. Swollen torrents
and scarcity OF supplies forced him
back to his base, at the point where
the Kicking Horse River joins the Co
lumbia. On this occasion, had it not
been for the discovery OF canoe, he
and his party would have starved
Sorely against their will he had put
them on half rations, but he gladdened
their hearts one morning by announc
ing that it was his birthday, and pro
ducing little sugar to sweeten their
| tea.
Nothing daunted, he started again
the same summer, in the mouth OF Ju
ly, from the same base, and succeeded
Proceeding up the valley OF the Beaver
a large stream that enters the Colum
bia through an open canon, and ther
following the course OF one OF its trib
'utaries appropriately called Beal
Creek, he at length found the lo,,
sought.for pass. He saw the mou
ain from the summit OF which the
year before he and his nephew had
noticed the depression extending tc
the east. Not content while anything
remained undone, he made for the
north fork, ascended it too, to ascer
tain if it's headwaters would connect
| with a tributary OF the Beaver, and
SO perhaps afford something better
but nothing better, or rather nothing
ut all. was found. Tho Sclkirks have
only one pass, but it is better than
the western slope of the main cham
by the Kicking Horse. And an Ameri-
can has had the honor OF finding that
one on behalf OF Canada! All honor
! to him,